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Two former gubernatorial candidates slug it out in Hudson Valley

A pair of former candidates for governor are slugging it out for a Hudson Valley congressional seat, and a new Siena College Research poll shows a close race.

John J. Faso, the former Assembly minority leader who ran as the Republican candidate for governor in 2006, and 2014 Democratic primary candidate Zephyr Teachout, are statistically tied in the contest for the 19th Congressional District in the mid-Hudson Valley. Siena shows Faso with 43 percent and Teachout with 42 percent. A crucial 15 percent remain undecided.

“This is the textbook definition of close. One point separates the candidates among both all voters and independents. Both have three-quarters support from their party’s voters, and the partisan breakdown of the district’s likely voters is near even as well,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “Faso has a strong 14-point lead with men, while Teachout has a nearly as strong 11-point lead with women. She also leads by 20-points with those with a college degree, while he holds a 22-point lead among voters without a college degree. Teachout leads in Ulster and Dutchess Counties and Faso leads in the rest of the district.

“Teachout, with a net 11-point positive favorability rating, is viewed a little more favorably than Faso, with a net two-point positive favorability rating, while each remains unknown to nearly four in 10 likely voters,” Greenberg said. “Both have room for growth, which is not surprising given that 55 percent say they have not seen a Faso commercial or been contacted by his campaign, and 44 percent say the same about Teachout.”